Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
Read Chapter 11
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the Prayer of Manasseh , in the Lord. This is to be referred to ver9 , not to the words immediately preceding, which by some Bibles are rightly put in a parenthesis. Having said, in ver9 , that the woman was created for the Prayer of Manasseh , the Apostle, lest he might seem to have given to men an occasion for pride, to women of indignation, here softens the force of it by adding that in marriage neither can man be without woman, nor woman without man. Each needs the other"s help, and that "in the Lord," that Isaiah , by the will and disposition of the Lord. Cf. S. Ambrose and the following verse.
"In the Lord" may also be understood "in Christ, by Christian truth and law." The rule of Christian law and of God"s ordinance is that the husband and wife give mutual help, procreate children, and educate them piously. This seems to be a reminder to married people of their duty to each other, and of Christian pie...
It is right, therefore, that we should honour those who have had a part in giving us birth. "Neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man"
Having talked about the glory of the man, Paul now reestablishes the balance so as not to exalt the man beyond what is his due nor to oppress the woman. In the Lord woman is not inde pendent of man, nor is man independent of woman… . Each one of the two is the cause of the other, God being the cause of all.
Thus, because he had given great superiority to the man, having said that the woman is of him and for him and under him; that he might neither lift up the men more than was due nor depress the women, see how he brings in the correction, saying, Howbeit neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord. Examine not, I pray, says he, the first things only, and that creation. Since if you enquire into what comes after, each one of the two is the cause of the other; or rather not even thus each of the other, but God of all. Wherefore he says, neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord.
